Country stars playing Opry House 40th anniversary show

2 years ago

Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and Clint Black are among the stars who'll be on hand this weekend for the Grand Ole Opry House 40th anniversary celebration. The country singers will be joining Josh Turner, Diamond Rio, Bill Anderson, and others for the special show Saturday night.

The Grand Ole Opry House, which was specifically built for Opry shows, hosted its first show on March 16th, 1974. Opening night performers included Roy Acuff and President Richard Nixon -- who was the first president ever to attend an Opry show and is still the only president to perform on Opry.

That first Opry House show included a spontaneous yo-yo lesson, with Acuff attempting to teach Nixon how to use the toy. To commemorate the moment an "Opry House Yo-Yo-A-Thon" will take place in the Opry Plaza throughout the weekend, and in the process raise money for Hands On Nashville and Habitat For Humanity of Greater Nashville.

Other activities include a 5K race Saturday morning, and a signing session with the authors of "Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry." The new book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary show, including stories and memories from Opry stars and over 250 photos.